182 
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 
terror of the African husbandman, who 
often finds his crops devoured, and his lately 
sown fields trodden into a mass of unproduC' 
tive soil by the midnight invasion of a 
hippopotami. 
The thickness of the hide of this animal 
such as to render it almost impenetrable 
fire-arms, so that it is very seldom wounded 
in any other part but the head, which 
indeed in some measure be owing to 1^’^ 
scarcely ever venturing by day to lift his he^* 
above water, in which he habitually reside^' 
The nostrils of the animal are provided 
cartilage and muscles, which enable him 
close them when in the water, and from 
depth of their insertions impart additioi'^ 
power to the terrible upper jaw. 
There exists at present but one species 
hippopotamus, though, from bones and tee 
recently discovered, naturalists have infers'®' 
that in the earlier ages of the world tbet® 
of 
til 
d 
